Railway signaling apparatus



9 N O S K NU A J H O (No Model.)

RAILWAY SIGNALING APPARATUS.

No. 298,209. Patented- May 6, '1884.

INVENTQR N. PEYERS. Pmo-umn npher, Waihinglml. D, c.

(No Model.) 7 2 Sheets-$het 2.

O. H. JACKSON. 7 RAILWAY SIGNALING APPARATUS.

Patented May 6, 1884.

IlNiTED' STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RAILWAY SIGNALING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 298,209, dated May Application filed February 15, 1883.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CALEB H. JACKSON, of Allegheny, county of Allegheny,State of Pennsylvania, have invented or discovered a new and useful Improvement in Railway Signaling Apparatus; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, concise, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, makinga part of this specification, in whichlikeletters indicating like parts Figure 1, Sheet 1, shows a diagrammatic view of a double-track junction with the electrical connections necessary for illustrating my present invention. Fig. 2, Sheet 2, is a view in side elevation of two switch and signal operating levers such as I employ in the apparatus of Fig. 1, and with electric locking apparatus applied thereto. Fig. 3 is a detached view, to an enlarged I scale, of the electrical locking apparatus of one of the levers of Fig. 2, but with the left-hand end of the front .clip broken away. Fig. 4 is a left-hand side or edge view of the devices of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a top end'view thereof. Fig. 6, Sheet 1, is a view in perspective, illustrating means for simultaneously locking two levers electrically.

In United States Patent No. 255,998, granted to me April 4, 1882, I showed and described a system of apparatus in which provision was made for the electric locking, by train action through a track-circuit, of the signal or signals by which the movement of said train was controlled, or of the switch or switches over which it was to pass. In my present invention I employ the same general system of apparatus; but, instead of locking the signals which govern the movement of the incoming train, as in said patent, I specially provide herein for the electrical locking in their normal position, or at danger, of those signals which govern the movements of conflicting trains, or of trains which,but for such signals,

would be liable to foul or collide with the train first supposed. Thus, if atrain coming in on track A wishes to depart on branch D, I so make the connections that it shall look at danger-signals 9 and 10, or either, and thereby prevent a train coming in on track Ofrom (No model.)

colliding at the track-crossings. Inlikemanner a train coming from the right on track O is liable, unless properly protected, to collide at the crossing with atrain going from A to D, or'with a train coming in on track B; hence I so make the connections that such train on 0 shall lock at danger one or both the signals 1 3, as also either or both the signals 7 8; also, and for the same reasons, a train approachingfrom the right on track B should lock one or both the signals 9 10. In systems of apparatus of this kind it is usual to operate all switches and signals from a central or main cabin, as at G, and to provide therein any suitable shifting apparatussay the Saxby and Farmer, for example-wherein levers such as shown in Figs. 2 and6 are employed,with suitable connections thence to the signals or switches to be moved. The arrangement of such levers-ten in number for the switches and signals shownis indicated in the cabin G by the numerals 1 to 10, and the switches, signals, and locking-bolt to be moved thereby are correspondingly numbered.

The letters A, O, and B may designate not only the respective tracks generally, but also, for the purposes of the present description, may designate each a Robinson track-circuit, formed in the usual way, and which is so well known that it need not be described.

In describing my present improvement I will first assume the approach of a train from the left on block or track section-A, and that it is then desired to lock signal 9 at danger. It will first be understood that in such apparatus the interlocking mechanism is so arranged that signals 1 and 3 cannot be cleared until 9 and 10 are at danger. Now, in order that lever 9 may be locked at danger automatically by the incoming train, I provide such lever with an electric locking mechanism, as next to be described. This lever 9, Figs. 2 to 5, is provided with the catch-rod a, which in the Saxby and Farmer apparatus is employed to hold the lever in position at either end of its motion, and also to effect what is commonly known as preliminary interlocking. By means of any suitable clip, 0, and bolt 0, or other suitable means, I secure to such lever an electro-magnet, c, and prolong the tail end, a, of its armature-lever so that such end passing through slots in the clip-plates 0 may come just outside the catch-rod a, and transversely thereto, and have a short range of mot-ion to and from such catch-rod. A shoulder 'or stop, a, is made on the catch-rod a in such position that when the catch-rod a is down, with its end in a notch of the quadrant q, the tail-piece c of the armature-lever may, under the action of a spring, 1), swing in just above such stop a. From Fig. it will now be seen that when the eleetro-magnet is excited by the electric current of the normally-closed track-circuit, the armature 0 will be drawn to or toward the magnet-poles, and the armature-lever e, turning on its pivot 0, will carry the tailpiece a clear of the stop a, so that the catchrod a, and with it the lever 9, will be free of any electrical locking action, and may be operated as in the usual way of working such apparatus; but when the electro-magnet is l e I demagnetizcd, as by the short-circuiting of the track-circuit, the retractile spring I) will cause the tail-piece c to swing in above the stop a, and thereby lock the catch-rod a, and with it the lever 9 and its signal 9, and so long as the track-circuit A remains short-circuited the signal 9 will remain locked at danger, so as to stop all trains approaching from the right on track 0. The connection of the trackcircuit with the clectro-magnet e on lever 9, so as to make a complete electrical circuit, is effect-ed wires 8 s in the manner common to the Robinson track-circuit, said circuit extending from battery r through wire 13, rails ll, wire s, connected to rails 14, to electric magnet c of lever 9, thence through wire 8, connected to rails 15, rails 15, and wire 16 to battery g, as indicated by short arrows in Fig. l

It will now be understood that the operator, having set signal 9 to danger by properly moving lever 9, and having home and distant signals 1 and 3 to safety by properly moving levers 1 and 3, and having set the switch to the siding or branch track D by shifting lever 5, has his apparatus in condition for the reception of a train from the left on track A. As soon as the train enters on the insulated block-section A, the cross-connection through the wheels and axle from one track-rail to the other cuts the electro-magnet e on lever 9 out of the influence of the battery 9, so that the tail-piece a will engage the stop a, and thereby lock the lever 9 and its signal 9 at danger, as above explained, so that the train can move out on track D without danger from a train approaching on track Gfrom the right, and at the same time the signals which govern the movements of the train while approaching 011 A, and up to the time of its departure, are under the control of the operator. For example, the train approaching on A may not ordinarily be required to stop; but after it has passed the distant signal 1 some emergency may arise,

such that it ought to be stopped, and the operator then has his signal-lever 3 and signal 3 unlocked, so that he can set such signal to danger and stop the train, but with his signal 9 locked at danger, so that he cannot endanger the outgoing train while it, when it proceeds, crosses the track C. If, instead of thus electrically locking lever 9, it be preferred to electrically lock distant signal 10 at danger for the same purposes and under the same conditions, it can be done by applying the same mechanism to lever 10 as to lever 9, and extending the wires 8 s to the electro-magnet thereof, as indicated by dotted lines 8 s; or both may be simultaneously locked by running one of the wires 8 to one pole of the electro-magnet of lever 9, extending the other wire 8 to the opposite pole of the electro-magnet on lever 10, and connecting the other two poles of the two magnets by a wire, 8 long enough to allow of the opposite movement of the two levers, as shown in Fig. 6. Assume, in the next place, the approach from the right of a train on the track 0. Before clearing signals 9 and 10, (or only one of them, as may be preferred in the organization of the apparatus,) the signals 1 and 3, (or one of them,) and also 7 and S, (or one of them,) which govern the movements of conflicting trains, or of trains liable to conflict, must be set at danger. This is done by properly shifting the correspondingly-numbcred levers. In order pro perly to protect the train passing over 0, it will ordinarily be sufficient to electrically lock levers 1 and 7, and I provide for doing this by applying to such levers the same electric locking mechanism as is above described, and connecting the track-circuit rails of O with the electro-magnets of such levers by wires 8 s s,so that while a train, or any part thereof, is on any part of the block or section 0, the levers 1 and 7 will be locked in the manner above described, and the signals 1 and 7 will be locked at danger. The circuit of the insulated section of track 0 extends from battery h through wire 17, rails 18, wire 8", connected to rails 18, wires 8" and s to electro-magnets e of levers 1 and 7, thence through opposite wires .9" and s of said magnets to wires .9, connected to rails 19, rails 19 and wire 20 to battery 71, as indicated by short arrows in Fig. 1; hence conflicting trains, which otherwise might run from A over to D, or from B onto the main line C, will be stopped, and it will not be in the power of the operator to give a clear signal to either; and, if desired, the levers 3 and 8 may be included in the same locking-circuit by wires 8 .s', and electric locking devices on lines 3 and 8 in like manner, as described with reference to levers 9 and 10. It will also be understood that here, as before, while the signals governing the movements of conflicting trains, or trains liable to conflict, are thus, as before, automatically locked at danger, it is also true that the signals 9 and 10, which govern the movements of the moving train,

are unlocked, so far as relates to electric action, so that they may be shifted by the operator to stop it or let it proceed, as train orders or other exigency may require. Assume, in the next place, that a train approaches on B, it should look signals 9 and 10, or one of them, at danger, under like conditions as before, and to this end the rails of track-circuit B are connected by wires 3 s with the electro-magnet on lever 9, or with that on 10, or with both, as may be desired, in like manner as above explained, and at the same time, while the signal or signals which govern the movements of conflicting trains are thus locked at danger, the signals 7 and 8, which govern the movements of the moving train, are, as before, un-

locked, and free to be shifted as may be necessary. The circuit of the insulated section of track B extends from battery i through wire 21, rails 22, wire .9 connected to rails 22, to

electro-magnet e of lever 9, (or of levers 9 and 10,) thence through opposite wires of said magnet or magnets to 8, connected to rails 23, and wire 24 to battery t, as indicated by short arrows in Fig. 1.

It is not essential that the locking should be done by engagement with the catch-rod, as the electro-magnet may be combined with any part of the lever or its moving mechanism, so as by engaging a shoulder, stop, or recess therein to perform the functions described, substantially in the manner set forth.

It should perhaps be stated that in the case of a train going from A to D, while it is true that the signals 9 and 10, (one or both, as the case may be) would be unlocked before the train had entirely crossed track 0, it is still true that the time taken in such crossing would be so short that the train would have passed the crossing before danger could arise from any possible reversal of signals 9 or 10, or

both, from their locked position at danger to a safety position.

Signal 2, operated by lever 2, is sometimes employed in such apparatus as a starting-signal, but when not needed may be omitted. Also, lever 4 is intended to operate lockingbolt 4, but its use is not essential to the present invention.

I claim herein as my invention The combination of a signal governing the movements of trains on one of two intersecting lines of track, an operating-lever for mov ing said signal, a track-circuit on the other line of track, an electro-magnet included in said circuit, and an electric lock connected with the signal-lever and with the electromagnet, and adapted to lock said lever by the demagnetization of said electro-magnet, these members being combined for joint operation to automatically look at danger the signal of one line of track, by the movement of a train on the other line, substantially as set forth. v

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

I CALEB H. JACKSON.

Witnesses:

R H. WHITTLESEY, GEORGE H. GHRISTY. 

